Thursday, June 27

Summer in Italy means gelato, and lots of it! However we don't have an icecream machine and in our house, homemade semifreddo is just as good - plus any dessert that doesn't need the oven on is an added bonus! Semifreddo literally translates to semi-cold or in this case, semi-frozen and let me tell you, trying to take a few photos on a hot June day with temps in the 90's F/30's C was more than difficult!

This recipe couldn't be more simple and is a great base to expand upon - get fruity by adding mashed raspberries to the mix instead of amaretti cookies for example and top with a dark chocolate ganache!

Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a heatproof, grease-free bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water until thickened. Then remove from the heat and continue whisking the mixture until completely cool.

Stiffly whip the cream. Then fold in the egg mixture and crushed cookies.

Line a rectangular loaf pan with plastic wrap, pour in the mixture and smooth the surface. Place in the freezer overnight or for at least 4 hours before serving.

To serve: turn upside and remove the plastic wrap. Serve with warm compote of mixed wild berries or chocolate atop!

Saturday, June 22

It's been a month since our last podcast so we have a lot to update -
from the weather and garden to the chickens and the wedding! Another
late night podcast (after pizza night!) We recap all the happenings at
our farmhouse, plus explain how to use the site Marcheinfesta.it -
searching for festivals in Le Marche.

Saturday, June 15

Fresh picked strawberries from the garden with homemade limoncello - a simple dessert that is sheer summer bliss! This delicious dessert, perfect for a hot night, may have only two ingredients but if you want to make it from scratch you are going to need about 2 weeks. You can always cheat and buy a fancy bottle of limoncello or limoncino but if you have a little patience you will be great rewarded!

Let the lemon rinds soak in alcohol for 10-12 daysFilter the lemon rinds.Make a simple syrup with the sugar & water (warming the water on the stove & incorporating all the sugar). Wait for the sugar water to cool.Combine the simple syrup with the alcohol & mix.Bottle & place in the freezer.Serve cold!

For Strawberries macerated in limoncello - it couldn't get any easier than 1, 2, 3:

Wednesday, June 12

Simply delicious.Ever since visiting a family-run seafood restaurant along the Adriatic we have been recreating this simple dish of roasted peppers and tuna. Roasting gorgeous orange, yellow and red peppers over the grill and stuffing them with tuna, capers and herbs makes for a healthy flavorful appetizer/antipasti -the perfect way to start your summer dinner (especially if you already have the bbq fired up!)

Start
by charring the outside of your peppers - either on the stove or over
the grill - until the outside is completely blackened. Place in a bowl
and cover with plastic, allow to cool.

When you can handle the peppers, remove the skin (should come right
off) and remove the seeds. Slice the peppers into 3 cm strips.

To prepare the tuna filling, combine the tuna, capers, salt & pepper, a few drops of olive oil and vinegar.

At one end of the peppers add a spoonful of the tuna mix and roll
the pepper around the tuna. Place in the dish, once the dish is full
season with salt & cracked pepper. Now make the dressing.

Two
spoonfuls of red wine vinegar with six spoonfuls of olive oil, 1/2-1
clove of finely chopped garlic and small handful of chopped herbs. Mix
it up and pour over the peppers in the dish. Allow to sit for at least
20 minutes before serving to let the peppers soak up the dressing.

Note: You can add any thing you like to the tuna mix: spring onions, sun dried tomatoes, olives, etc.

Monday, June 10

You may have noticed a recent drop-off in posts and recipes - well, we have been busy preparing for my younger sister's wedding! (And it was perfect!!) More posts, recipes, photos, festivals and stories to come - thanks for your patience. It was a crazy week, hosting 26 family members and friends at our farmhouse, Jason cooked up a storm as we celebrated Meagan & Kevin's wedding. (Menu details to come...)

Tuesday, June 4

Photos of the locals from Piobbico i Piobbichese, preparing our sweet village for la fiorita!

The first Sunday of June
villages across Italy celebrate La Fiorita (or Corpus Domini), a
religious holiday by decorating the streets in flower petals followed by
a procession through town. Discover this beautiful tradition in Le
Marche http://bit.ly/KvrBQz.

In previous years I have posted the photos of the procession, however this year I wanted to show all the hard work and friendly faces preparing the streets!